Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry in Undergraduate Chemistry and Science

通过该项目，为购买气相色谱仪/质谱仪(GC/MS)提供了资金。GC/MS能力的获得极大地增加了本科生在日益增长的环境化学和科学领域的实验室和研究经验。该仪器支持环境化学、分析化学和有机化学的本科课程，并为本科生提供环境化学的新研究课题。受益于强化的环境化学课程的学生在以下领域获得了新的经验：环境采样、样品制备、环境中痕量有机化合物的去向和迁移、气相色谱和质谱学。学生将先前课程中培养的实验室技能融入环境分析所需的分析方法和技术中。重点是开发和测试使用GC/MS的现代分析技术，班级和研究项目包括现场监测井对当地地下水资源的农药和除草剂污染、对环境中人为氯有机化合物持久性的评价、各种化合物的辛醇-水分配系数的测量，以及分析伊利湖斑马贻贝对痕量有机化合物的生物积累。希望这些项目能吸引更多的非专业学生，特别是生物、环境科学和地球科学专业的学生。

Through this project, funds are provided for the purchase of a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The acquisition of GC/MS capabilities greatly increases laboratory and research experiences for undergraduates in the growing field of environmental chemistry and science. This instrument bolsters the undergraduate course curriculum in environmental, analytical, and organic chemistry and provides new research topics in environmental chemistry for undergraduate students. Students benefitting from the strengthened environmental chemistry curriculum gain new experiences in the following areas: environmental sampling, sample preparation, fate and transport of trace organic compounds in the environment, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry. Students integrate laboratory skills developed in prior courses into the analytical methodologies and techniques required for environmental analysis. Emphasis is on development and testing of modern analytical techniques employing GC/MS. Class and research projects include sampling of on-site monitoring wells for pesticide and herbicide contamination of local groundwater resources, an evaluation of the persistence of anthropogenic chlorinated organic compounds in the environment, measurement of octanol-water partition coefficients of a variety of compounds, and analysis of zebra mussels in Lake Erie for bioaccumulation of trace organic compounds. The hope is that many nonmajors are attracted to these projects, particularly biology, environmental sciences, and geosciences students.